Rural Communities Are Leading the Way in the Vertiport Revolution

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

20 Oct 2025

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The aviation industry is on the verge of a transformation that could reshape transportation as significantly as the interstate highway system did in the 1950s. With 2 million commercial drones expected to be airborne by the end of the year and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) nearing FAA approval, the critical missing component is not the aircraft themselves, but the places where they will land, recharge, and operate.

Lisa Wright, CEO of Landings, has identified this infrastructure gap as both the aviation sector’s biggest challenge and its most promising real estate opportunity. With a background as a licensed commercial architect and experience in proptech startups, including work with companies acquired by major real estate players such as Newmark, Wright brings a unique perspective, viewing the vertiport challenge fundamentally as a real estate problem.

“Much like electric cars, when they wanted to proliferate, what held them back was the ground infrastructure. There wasn’t enough charging,” Wright says. “I see this is going to be the same problem for heavy drones and eVTOLs. It’s great that there’s 600 manufacturers building these aircraft right now. Where are they going to land? How are they going to charge? How are they going to be maintained and operated? Where are we going to train pilots? There’s an entire real estate industry around the landing and charging of these aircraft.”

The Rural Advantage

While much industry attention remains focused on urban markets like Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, Wright has chosen to target rural communities instead. This strategy addresses several practical challenges associated with urban vertiports and leverages underutilized rural assets.

“In urban locations, there are very small spaces in wind tunnels caused by buildings or natural winds from rivers,” Wright notes. “There’s a lot of issues building in urban locations. I don’t believe people will be landing on buildings anytime soon.”

Rural areas offer clear advantages beyond more space and fewer regulatory obstacles. “In rural regions, we don’t already have trains. We don’t have great bus systems. We don’t really have last mile logistics, so they’re missing infrastructure now for demand that they already have,” Wright observes.

The real estate opportunity is attractive: “They have a lot of real estate that’s undervalued because there’s no demand for it. There’s undervalued property out there that we can build on. We won’t have a lot of the restrictions that you would have in a city, and we’re going to have a little bit more space.”

Despite the emphasis on space, Landings’ facilities remain relatively compact. “Our smallest are one and a half acres. Our largest will be seven to twelve acres, whereas an airport is hundreds and thousands of acres. So they’re still pretty small.”

The Mohawk Valley Network

Landings recently announced partnerships with twelve upstate New York communities to develop what the company calls the world’s largest planned vertiport network. The Mohawk Valley region was chosen for its aviation-friendly environment and existing infrastructure.

“The upstate New York community is extremely friendly (to AAM). They have a lot of drone startups. They have this open drone airspace,” Wright explains, referencing a 1,000-mile area of FAA-approved drone operating space managed by nonprofit NUAIR.

The partnership covers six counties, with Wright securing letters of support from local communities interested in the economic development opportunities. “We got twelve letters of support from the community wanting to have our network up there,” she says.

These vertiports will deliver more than aviation infrastructure. “They really want not only the additional services that the vertiports will bring, but also the energy systems. Sometimes they don’t have excess energy on their grid. We’re going to bring that.”

The long-term vision includes broader economic development. “Where are the drone companies going to build their factories in the future? Where are the pilots going to be trained? Where are they going to live if they’re going to work in vertiports? It’s a long-term workforce and revitalizing of rural communities.”

Strategic Timing and Risk Management

Building infrastructure ahead of widespread aircraft deployment requires careful timing and risk management. Wright has structured Landings’ approach to minimize exposure while securing strategic positions.

“We’re actually modeling it after the cell tower industry, where we’re getting options on the land. We’re partnering with the landowners to get an option on the land, and then we will bring in the capital to build the vertiport, and the partners to provide the energy. Once it’s up and running, we’ll operate the vertiport and share revenue with the owner.”

The phased development approach further limits risk. “We’re not going to build the entire network all at once. We’re going to do it step by step, but we have options on the sites, and we’re getting more options.”

Wright believes the timing will work out. “Energy projects take years. I actually believe that by the time we get energy to the sites, these aircraft will be in the air.”

Technology-Driven Site Selection

Landings has developed tools to evaluate potential sites, addressing one of the most complex aspects of vertiport development. The company receives weekly inquiries from potential partners, including individual landowners, corporations, and mall operators.

“We’re working on an MVP app that we’re going to release, hopefully this month, that analyzes all the same data points my team reviews manually when assessing a potential site.” Wright says. The app evaluates zoning, property size, elevation, ground stability, flight path obstacles, and weather patterns.

However, energy availability is the main constraint. “90% of the time there’s not enough energy available in the area. So we have to consider how we get energy to the site, if it’s going to be a charging site.”

Industry Validation and Future Expansion

The vertiport infrastructure sector is gaining recognition from major real estate players. Wright points out that Cushman Wakefield recently announced a partnership with a competitor to analyze vertiport development opportunities across their portfolio.

“I think that’s a great way to do it. I’ve been speaking with the Cushman’s and the Newmarks of the world as well, saying you’re not going to have this specialty in-house. You’re not going to know how to understand the feasibility of vertiports,” Wright says.

This validation supports Wright’s expansion strategy beyond the initial Mohawk Valley network. “I’m looking to expand out from that network. I’ve spoken with many of the communities east and west of the network that I’m hoping to add them on.”

The company has identified specific types of real estate as particularly suitable. “Malls are great candidates. Tractor Supply stores are great locations. We have started talking to these REITs, developers, and property owners nationally, to see if we can develop a network for them.”

Looking Ahead

With plans to announce the first Mohawk Valley location this month and construction targeted for early 2026, Landings is positioning itself at the forefront of what Wright sees as an inevitable infrastructure buildout. The company’s ultimate vision includes 2,000 locations across the United States.

The approach reflects a broader trend in real estate development: identifying emerging infrastructure needs before they become widely recognized. Just as data centers have become a major real estate asset class driven by digital transformation, vertiports may represent the next infrastructure category to create significant real estate value.

For real estate investors and developers, Wright’s rural-focused strategy demonstrates how undervalued assets can be repositioned for new uses. As the aviation industry continues its shift to electric aircraft, the communities and investors who build the supporting infrastructure first may gain significant advantages in the future transportation network.

The success of Landings’ approach will depend on the pace of aircraft certification and adoption, but Wright’s systematic approach to site selection, community partnerships, and phased development offers a framework that real estate professionals can consider as they explore opportunities in this emerging sector.